The Legacy
by gnbrules
Summary: The people closest to him knew that Nathan Stark's legacy was far more than science, awards, and business. Takes place during and one year after "I Do Over."
1. Fargo

**The Legacy**

**Summary: The people closest to him knew that Nathan Stark's legacy was far more than science, awards, and business. Takes place during and one year after "I Do Over."**

**A/N: So I just got into Eureka, and now I'm completely hooked. I managed to catch up to the current season in about a week. Stark is one of my favorite characters, and so of course, my first Eureka fic just had to be a reaction fic to his death (dematerialization, whatever). The first part of this fic is the reaction of the news for several different characters, and then one year later (before the trip to 1947 changed certain things). So, starting with the Prologue and Fargo chapter, here we go. **

**Prologue: **

It was ironic, really. Nathan Stark had spent a lifetime trying to make a name for himself, through scientific research and discovery, through business and job decisions, through power. In the end, he was remembered most for something he never really tried for at all.

After he died, or at least, after he was dematerialized in the space time continuum, the people who knew him best dealt with the news, the grief, and the memories in their own ways.

But all of them had one thing in common – they remembered the man, not the suit.

As flawed as Nathan Stark may have been, his legacy was great. He had friends and family in Eureka, friends who appreciated him, and would miss him more than he ever would have guessed.

**Fargo**

The way Douglas Fargo dealt with grief was so textbook that he would have found it laughable, had he been able to laugh at the time.

It began as grief often does, with the persistent disbelief.

The denial.

As Stark failed to reappear, it grabbed hold of Fargo.

"He's gone," he told Carter, but he was hoping for some refutation, some insistent, _No, he's not. _

There was none to be had.

Fargo had stood there, blinking stupidly at the spot where his boss once stood. And then he reached out impulsively, towards the empty space, hoping to grab onto a man that was no longer there.

Carter pulled him back. "It's over, Fargo. There's nothing we can do."

But still, the sheriff made no move to leave the room. For five minutes, they stood there in silent company, and Fargo knew they were both waiting.

Waiting for Stark to reappear as if by magic, with a shaken but still smirking expression on his face and a "can't kill me" attitude.

But then the minutes started to clump together and Carter shook his head as though shaking off a trance.

Carter laid a hand on Fargo's shoulder. Briefly. "Come on, Fargo...we have to go see Allison."

The name assaulted Fargo with the reminder of what was not to be.

_The wedding..._

Fargo moved like a zombie as they walked out to the sheriff's jeep. The car ride over was silent between the two men, but in Fargo's mind, all was chaos. _I can't believe he's gone _kept playing like a never-ending soundtrack over memories Fargo hadn't thought about in years.

Nathan Stark had given Douglas his first job. It was an internship assisting Dr. Burke in the Artificial Intelligence lab. Fargo knew he had messed up the interview; he'd talked too much and floundered, but Stark had waved his hand to shut him up. Fargo was sure he was going to be thrown out, but Stark simply said, "You start on Monday."

And later that same year, Fargo had discovered how to program AI, complete with artificial emotional intelligence, into nano-technology. It was Fargo's first real break-through discovery, and Stark had been there after the first field test. He had smiled, patted Fargo's shoulder, and congratulated him. He'd seemed legitimately proud, and maybe Fargo was romanticizing, but it had _felt _like Stark could, in some ways, make up for the father Fargo had never gotten a chance to meet.

Stark had also given him his promotion. True, assistant didn't have quite the same ring to it as other positions, but assistant to the Head of Global Dynamics was one of the most important jobs within the company. Stark, for all his reprimanding and sarcasm, had trusted Fargo's capabilities to an unprecedented (and perhaps undeserving, Fargo sometimes thought) level.

Fargo was lost in these memories until they reached the wedding party, at which point the sheriff parked the vehicle and the men got out. Many heads turned in their direction, but Carter ignored them all. "Fargo, I need you to tell Jo what happened. She needs to make an announcement. I have to tell Allison."

The sheriff set off to find Dr. Blake without another word, and Fargo couldn't help but feel abandoned for the second time within the hour.

Jo found him before he could even think to seek her. She began to berate him with questions, oblivious to his inner distress. "Fargo, what's going on? Why isn't Carter in his suit? Where's Stark?"

It took supreme effort to keep the bile from rising in his throat. He felt sick with the words, afraid to say them, because that would make them real. Definite, final.

But he had to do it.

"Jo," he started. "There's been, I guess you could call it an accident. I mean, we had to fix it. Fix time." he was rambling now, and his voice started to shake. "We were in a time loop...Stark fixed it, he was the only one that could do it but...he's gone. Dematerialized and...Jo, he's not coming back. He's dead."

Jo's face was suddenly stricken and pale, disbelieving. _If only I could regain that denial,_ thought Fargo wistfully.

"I don't understand," Jo replied after a long pause.

"I'll explain more later. But you need to tell them. The guests. Carter's with Dr. Blake..."

Jo swallowed tightly. "Oh, God. Allison."

"I know," replied Fargo, and he knew the grief they felt was as much for Stark as it was for the pain Allison would surely feel. "Tell them, Jo."

Jo regained some composure and nodded. She made her way up to the front of the crowd and Fargo collapsed into a nearby chair. He did his best to tune out the announcement, the one that turned the smiles and expectations into sudden disbelief and tears.

One week later, he was in another chair under another a clear blue sky, and he was still trying not to listen. He didn't want to hear the eulogy, the memories, the sounds of sniffling. He wanted to control his emotions, but they welled up and overflowed. And it would be a memory that embarrassed him much later, though he knew no one would judge him for it.

The fact remained, however, that at Nathan Stark's funeral, the only one that cried with more true grief than Fargo was Allison.

**A/N: Reviews greatly appreciated. :)**


	2. Allison

**Allison**

Allison Blake had been sure, upon waking, that the day would be a perfect one.

It would be the new beginning she had hoped for: a new start for Nathan and herself, and a new chance at having a family that finally felt complete.

Everything was going to work out the way it was supposed to. She had been so sure.

Nathan had been held up at work, but she wasn't worried.

In all honesty, she didn't know there was anything to be worried about.

After awhile though, her nerves started fraying around the edges. Was Nathan there yet? And where was Carter? She was supposed to marry the former and be walked down the aisle by the latter. If they were late, she thought, she didn't know what she'd do.

And then Jack finally arrived, entering the tent with assurances she might have found odd if she'd really thought about them. She would later remember the few moments of relief she had felt at the sheriff's arrival, until she had really taken in his appearance. He looked shaken and pale, not to mention a little sick.

It was then that the voice whispered in the back of her mind, _the bearer of bad news. _

She asked for Nathan, feeling a sudden level of urgency.

Jack didn't say anything. He _couldn't_ say anything.

She could almost see the words clumping in his throat. His expression was pained and regretful, as if he wished he could answer with anything other than the truth.

The understanding came like a brutal punch; it was too immediate, too final, irretrievable.

She thought for one instant that her dress must be shrinking, because _something _must have been constricting her lungs so that she couldn't breathe. _Something _must have been making her choke on air and making her legs falter so that she had to sit down.

Carter was by her side almost instantly, and then time seemed to stop. Ironic, she'd learn later.

She'd never remember how long she sat there, gasping for air, gasping through shock and disbelief. She had no idea when the tears started to fall or when she began to cry into the sheriff's shirt. He wrapped his arms around her, smoothed her hair, as if that could help.

"I'm so sorry, Allison."

The sheriff's voice cracked slightly, and she wondered if Carter was crying too. She couldn't bear to look, but in the back of her mind, she thought, _Nathan would have a field day with this, Carter crying over him... _

It was her wedding day. She was supposed to be looking beautiful and wrapped in _Nathan's _arms, but instead her make-up was running and she was clinging to Jack Carter with grief and it _almost _felt like cheating, but she couldn't bring herself to pull away from this last source of comfort.


	3. Henry

**Henry**

Henry had seen many lives lost during his time in Eureka. He'd lived a fairly long life in a town where scientists were always pushing the boundaries, and this made the occasional fatal accident an inevitability. He just never thought he'd outlive Nathan Stark.

Henry had known Nathan before there was _Corporate Nathan_. Henry had known Nathan when he was young and bright-eyed and a tiny bit awkward, when he still marveled at even basic science and the possibilities of simple technology.

They'd worked together for years, and Nathan Stark almost never let his guard down, even back then. He was a man of science, not emotion.

But Henry saw what the casual observer might miss.

Henry saw tenderness when Nathan looked at Allison. He saw affection for Kevin.

He saw love and potential and intellect.

For awhile, he was convinced that Nathan had lost his way. He'd left Allison for a job, something old Nathan would never do. He'd pushed boundaries, sometimes disregarding safety in the process. He'd made mistakes, pushed people away with a rough exterior and a business-like indifference.

But when Henry heard how Nathan Stark had died – risking his own personal safety for the well-being and existence of Eureka...

Henry knew that Nathan had always been _just_ _Nathan, _and it was then that Henry truly felt grief and the painful loss of a friend who had proven, more than anyone else, that a man can stray far from where he started, but still return home.

**A/N: Not necessarily my best work or favorite chapter, but Henry needed _something. _**


	4. Kevin

**Kevin**

Kevin's autism had always prevented him from being a talkative boy, save for the period of time when he was connected to the artifact.

But just because Kevin didn't speak much...it didn't mean that he didn't understand people and emotions.

Because, when his mother walked out of the tent at the wedding...he knew his life had changed forever. He knew something was very, very wrong. Very, very bad. His mom would only cry like that if something happened, something horrible.

There had been a lot of hugging after that, a lot of crying by many people. They hugged him and hugged his mom, and he didn't know why. Were people supposed to cry like this at weddings?

He'd watched others ask if his mom wanted company. Jo was particularly insistent, but his mother had shook her off.

"Jo, really. I just want to be home. I just need some time right now," she said, with the kind of tone that Kevin knew meant not to argue.

After they'd managed to escape the hugs from countless others, his mom took them both back to their house. She sniffled all the way home, and when they arrived she sat down on the living room couch and did...well, nothing.

She just sat there, staring off into space.

"Mom?" he asked from across the room.

Her head snapped over to look at him, like she had forgotten he was there. Kevin wasn't used to that.

"Come here, baby." she said, tears forming in her eyes once again.

He didn't like seeing her upset, but he had to do as he was told. He went over by the couch and she pulled him down next to her. "Why are you crying, Mom?" he asked. He wanted to know what had made her so sad, wanted to fix it.

She grabbed his hand and squeezed it. The tears fell freely down her face. He thought about wiping them away, but there were simply too many. "Kevin, listen...Nathan..."

Kevin recognized the name easily because he knew Nathan. Nathan had always been around. He'd lived with them when they were a family. He'd left for awhile but he came back. He always came back. Nathan had spent a lot of time with him, read him stories, played games, helped him when he was sick. Made his mother laugh.

If Kevin knew anyone besides his mother, he knew Nathan.

The look on her face was so, so sad. "Nathan's gone, baby. He...he died."

"Oh."

There were a lot of things Kevin didn't understand, but he understood death. Death was what happened to Edison, the hamster he had owned for a year. Death is what happened to bugs that got squashed under his shoe by accident.

He knew it wasn't something he could fix. Not for himself, not for his mom, not for anyone.

And that's when Kevin began to cry.

His mother pulled him closer and held him, whispered soothing words even though she too was crying.

Kevin must have fallen asleep while crying, because the next thing he knew, he was waking up in his bed, and his cheeks were rough and salty where the tears had dried on his face.


	5. Jack

**Jack Carter**

To Jack, Nathan Stark had always seemed somewhat invincible. That wasn't always a good thing, either. He was the one thing standing between Jack and the woman he was pretty sure he was falling in love with.

Carter and Stark had always had their disagreements, from day one. They didn't necessarily like each other, and the respect they had for one another was grudging at best.

But Jack knew that Nathan, for all his faults and past mistakes, loved Allison and Kevin.

And, more surprising, he seemed to make them both _happy. _

That's why Jack knew his place when the wedding day came around. He would stand by and let Stark remarry Allison, because it's what she wanted. When the time came to object, Carter wouldn't say a word, no matter how much his insides screamed at him to do so.

But the time never came, not for real, at least.

Because Stark, as it turned out, wasn't invincible.

_See you around, Jack._

When he'd think about it later, Jack would recognize that Stark must have been even more aware of the risks then he let on, more aware of the fact that he may very well be giving up his life.

Because out of all their time working together, that was the only time Nathan Stark had ever called him Jack.

In the days and weeks following Nathan's death, Carter noticed how empty Global felt without Nathan's ego taking up the place. He would never admit it, but he missed butting heads with Stark, missed the snarky banter and the challenge of keeping each other in line.

He missed Stark and he couldn't admit it, so instead he did the next best thing – he honored him in the only way he knew how. He made it his personal mission to make sure Allison and Kevin were okay. He would have done it anyway out of love for Allison, but this was more than that. He wanted Nathan's family to heal, so that his sacrifice hadn't gone to waste.

So night after night, week after week, he checked in on Allison, offering company and friendship. Sometimes, he'd only call and see how they were doing. Other times, he'd stop by with take-out from Cafe Diem and a movie, usually something animated for Kevin's enjoyment. He even made the occasional dinner, and when Allison confessed to needing time alone, he offered to take Kevin out for ice cream.

He could tell she was having trouble sleeping – the bags under her eyes were testimony to that fact, and so he would come over and watch television with her into the late hours until she finally fell asleep.

In all this time, he knew he was in love with her, but he also knew that it wasn't what she needed. It was disrespectful to admit to feelings so soon, and the last thing she could want is someone complicating her life with messy feelings. So he denied any urges to hold her close or kiss her goodnight, and instead presented his services as a friend. He hoped Stark could at least approve of that much.

Finally, when Allison asked him to be her birthing coach, Carter felt a pang of regret. Speaking as a father, Jack knew that no man should ever have to miss the birth of his child. After one brief moment's pause, Jack said yes.

Because if Nathan Stark couldn't be there, the least Carter could do was offer the best he could give.

**A/N: Okay, so I don't actually know if that's the only time Stark called him Jack, but I like pretending that it is. **


	6. One Year Later

**One Year Later**

Allison starts her day with a smile, a little more forced than usual, until the moment she holds Jenna in her arms. That's when the smile becomes real, and the world feels most at peace. She sits with the little girl in her lap, and Allison begins to fiddle with the diamond strung around her neck.

It's been a long time since she's done this. She used to do it a lot just after Nathan's death. She'd bring him back in holographic form, whisper heartbroken_ I loves yous_ to his ghost. Then, when Jenna was born, she brought him back in the privacy of the baby's room just so that Jenna could see her father. She hasn't done it since then, but today, she will.

She fiddles with the diamond til it hits the light sneaking in through the curtains in just the right way. Nathan appears as a flash, looking solid enough to fool most eyes.

Jenna giggles happily, and Allison whispers down to her, "He'll always love you, even if he never got to meet you."

Jenna lets out a happy baby gurgle as a single tear falls onto the top of her head.

* * *

><p>It's a habit now, and most days, he hardly even thinks about it. There are much more direct routes to his office, but Fargo doesn't use them. Instead, he passes through the Nathan Stark Memorial Hallway, the one he'd spent many hours making sure was built, cleaned, and respected. He's been taking this route everyday since it was completed.<p>

Today, he takes an extra moment to stop at the photograph of Stark, hanging prominently on the wall.

Fargo stands and looks at it, sees a smidgeon of dust gathering on the edge of the frame. He wipes it clean with his sleeve and assesses the photo.

Nathan Stark, the man who had given him his career. His idol for so long...

Fargo wants to say something, but he doesn't. He just nods his respect and hopes that somehow, somewhere, Stark understands this to be the best compliment Fargo can give him.

* * *

><p>Henry buys the thank you card impulsively, almost without knowing why.<p>

It's silver and blue and to the point, and it feels _right. _

He lets it sit on his desk for awhile, blank save for the already-printed text. It stares at him, in that _way_. It makes him understand.

One year ago to the day, Jack Carter had told everyone in town what had happened. He told them how Nathan Stark had a choice, how Stark had known the risks, and had known what was at stake. Jack told them of Nathan's sacrifice: Nathan Stark had saved the town's existence, losing his life in the process.

Jack had spoken with the respect one shows a hero, and now Henry knows it's time for him to do the same.

He grabs a nearby pen.

_Nathan, so much has happened. Your little girl is beautiful. You've given us all so much. Thank you for giving us this year. Thank you for letting Eureka remain home for so many. _

_We miss you here,_

_Henry_

It wasn't enough, wasn't nearly enough, but Henry's sure that Nathan would appreciate it.

* * *

><p>Jack often forgets things, but he couldn't forget this day. He doesn't know if it's because he's lived it so many times over, or because it changed life so fundamentally for all of them.<p>

He awakes remembering. He has coffee for breakfast and goes to work, almost like normal, except the feeling is there. It's grief and it's mourning and loss, but it's also friendship and acceptance and new beginnings.

It's been one year.

The day goes by smoothly, for once. No disasters, not a single crisis, just a few routine traffic stops for excessive speed.

He finishes some paperwork at the station, and since the evening glow is peeking in through the window, he decides to call it a day.

Cafe Diem and dinner is waiting for him.

When he walks inside the restaurant, he's surprised to see how crammed it is with people. People at every table, people along the walls, so many people he wonders vaguely if it's exceeding maximum occupancy.

And that's when he sees the banner, and suddenly he understands. Suspended in air, large silver words like floating tinsel shine out over the dining counter. _In Loving Memory of Nathan Stark. _

Carter doesn't know who planned this, but he isn't about to guess. He presses through the throng of people as politely as he can and stops at the dining counter. A framed photo of Stark stands proudly beneath the shining words.

_I almost forgot he had that stupid smirk, _thinks Carter. In his head, he fills in Stark's likely retort. _"Stupid, Carter? Should we take another look at our IQ test scores?" _

Carter rolls his eyes, then focuses on the greeting card laying next to Stark's photograph. It's a thank you card, very simple and sleek. Carter opens it with curiosity. Words of thanks jump out from every corner, filling almost every spot. They are 'thank yous' of all kinds, in different handwriting and colors and inks and writing utensils, including crayon and marker.

_Mr. Stark, thank you for being a hero._

Carter smiles and immediately reaches into his jacket for his pen. He finds one of the last remaining available spots on the card and squeezes his note of thanks among all the others. Just as he finishes, Allison finds him through the crowd.

"Come on," she says in greeting, and then she takes his hand and leads him to one of the tables.

It's there that he finds Zoe, cooing at Jenna who sits giggling on her lap. _Our daughters together, _and Carter doesn't know whether it's beautiful or sad or some strange mixture of both. Kevin is sitting quietly nearby as Lucas and Henry chat, and as Jo and Fargo argue over nothing of any real importance. Everyone looks up at Carter's arrival, and Henry pulls up a new chair. "Have a seat, Jack."

Jack takes it, sitting just left of Allison. "Did you plan all this, Allison?" he questions.

She shakes her head, with that wonderful Allison smile of hers. "Vincent had the banner ready when I came in for lunch today. I gave him the picture, Henry bought the card. And everyone just sort of...showed up, you know? Some were just picking up orders but decided to stay for this and pay their respects."

"We've got a good town," Jack acknowledges. "We have a lot of good people here."

Allison nods. "We certainly do."

As they chatted, Vincent had been busy supplying his customers with beers and other drinks, until there was a glass for everyone person in the restaurant.

Vincent hands out the last drink and the crowd falls silent without any prompt. They all find themselves waiting for the same thing.

"Henry," Allison whispers. There are tears in her eyes and Jack pats her hand comfortingly. "Will you do the honors?" she asks.

"Of course, Allison," Henry stands, and the rest of the crowd follows his lead.

"One year ago today, we lost someone very special to Eureka," starts Henry. "He was a good man, a strong leader, a dedicated friend. One year ago today, he risked his life so that others could live. We stand here now because of him. I am proud to have known him as well as I did, and today we celebrate his life and his memory. To Nathan Stark, may we always remember his life and sacrifice." he finishes, and raises his glass.

"To Nathan Stark," the crowd says in unison, and Jack wonders, with the tone that had flavored their grudging friendship, how big Stark's ego is now.

* * *

><p>Kevin's day is normal, for the most part. His mom wakes him up and sends him to school. He does his listening and reading assignments. The teacher gives him a gold star sticker and tells him that he's done a good job. He eats lunch with his friend Pete, and after school he goes home to the nanny. She makes him a snack and plays games with him, then she cleans up the house. His mom gets home right on time. She hugs him and Jenna, then makes them all some dinner. She asks him about school. He answers the best he can, and she smiles.<p>

His day stops being normal when his mom suggests that they go to Cafe Diem for the evening. It's different because they've already eaten and he knows bath and bed time isn't that far off, but his mom doesn't seem to care. She packs him and Jenna into the car and he watches houses and shops pass by through the window.

There are a lot of people in Cafe Diem when they get there, and this is different too. It's a lot of noise and there are shiny silver words that look pretty, and a picture he recognizes. They sit at a table for awhile. Zoe is there and so is Jo. They're nice and he likes them, so he's happy enough to sit here quietly and listen.

Then the man his mom likes, the one with the badge, shows up. Carter. That's his name, Kevin reminds himself. Zoe's dad. Carter sits by his mom and she smiles, talks to him for a bit. Then she turns back to Kevin. She hands him a cup of juice and whispers that he should hold it up when everyone else holds up their glasses.

Then Henry says a lot of words, not all of which Kevin understands, but he puts his cup up just the same, just like everyone else.

His mom cries, but just a little bit. Not too long after he finishes his juice, they say goodbye to lots of people. Most of them hug his mom, some even hug him, like Carter and Zoe and Jo. Then they leave the restaurant.

When they get home, he helps his mom put Jenna to bed. Then she tucks him into _his_ bed, kisses his forehead and says, "I love you, Kevin."

He's heard these words lots and lots of times before, and he knows what they mean. Love is what he feels when his mother kisses him. Love is what he feels when he gets to hold Jenna. He knows these words are important. "Love you too," he says quietly. His mom looks a little surprised, but then she just smiles. "Goodnight, baby."

"Goodnight."

When his mom leaves the room, Kevin sits up. He reaches for the picture on his bedside table. It's a photo of his mom smiling next to a man with curly hair. Nathan. Kevin remembers Nathan, but he hasn't seen him in a long time. He misses Nathan. He knows that this is why his mom still cries sometimes, because Nathan is gone and he can't come back.

Alone in his room, Kevin traces the picture of Nathan with his fingers, much as he's done every night for the past year.

He knows the words are important.

"Love you, Nathan." he says quietly, and then he sets the photograph back down on his bedside table.

Kevin likes to think that Nathan can hear him. It's a thought that is confirmed when Kevin falls asleep, because when he dreams, he sees Nathan again. "Of course I heard you, Kev," Dream Nathan says comfortingly, with the friendship he had always offered Kevin in real life. "And I love you too. Promise to take care of Mom and your sister for me?"

"I will," replies Kevin, and he smiles, both in his dream and in his sleep. This is how he remembers Nathan, because this is who Nathan truly was. And Kevin is happy to know that this is how so many others – his mom and Carter and Jo and Fargo and Henry - remember him too.


End file.
